But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of june, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of nature could pity and be kind to him. what is the meaning of this excerpt? puritans plant a rosebush near the prison to comfort criminals. the rosebush is more beautiful and fragile than anything else near the prison. the rosebush is nature's offering to those who must enter or leave the prison. puritans believe that criminals deserve a view of beauty from their cells.